Kabang, the hero dog from the Philippines, arrives at UC Davis

Almost a year ago, a dog named Kabang lost her snout and upper jaw when she leapt in front of a motorcycle to save two little girls in the Philippines. On Thursday veterinary specialists at UC Davis examined Kabang to determine what can be done to give her a better chance at a long and healthy life.

"We are pleased with what we discovered today," Verstraete said. "We are confident we can improve her condition going forward."

Added Arzi: "Kabang has suffered catastrophic injuries to her face. While we had consulted over photos and video, we were not able to make a proper determination of the care we would be able to offer Kabang until we examined her in person."

Verstraete and Arzi are members of the dentistry and oral surgery service faculty at UC Davis' William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital. The hospital has the most comprehensive dental and oral surgery service of any veterinary teaching hospital in the world, providing surgery for dogs, cats and other animal species.

Arzi and Verstraete are now consulting with Anton Mari H. Lim, Kabang's veterinarian from the Philippines, to develop a treatment plan for Kabang.

Based on preliminary discussions, Arzi and Verstraete anticipate that Kabang will need at least two surgeries. The first likely would focus on dental work. The second would attempt to close the gaping wound on the dog's face, protecting her from infection and improving her quality of life.

Kabang lost half her snout and upper jaw when she collided with a motor tricycle in Zamboanga City in the Philippines last December. The family pet had jumped in front of the vehicle to stop it from hitting her owner's two young daughters.

Animal lovers from around the world heard about the incident and raised more than $20,000, to enable Kabang to undergo surgery in the U.S. Kabang is expected to be at UC Davis for at least six weeks.

Contrary to some reports in the media, there are no plans to fit Kabang with a "prosthetic snout" or to replace her jaw, according to UCD officials.

An independent, international donation campaign raised the money to bring Kabang and Lim to the United States for a consultation with veterinary reconstructive surgery specialists at UC Davis. Kabang and Lim landed at Los Angeles International Airport late Monday night and arrived in Davis on Tuesday.